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April 26, 2015
Honoring the Old; Welcoming the New

Yesterday morning I spent almost four hours in a meeting of the Albanian Mennonite Mission Foundation. The meeting was here in Lezhë at the Guri i Themalit church, and I was reporting as the first chair of the AMM Field Council. Dini Shahini began with a devotional and a brief review of some of the history of Albania Mennonite Missoon, emphasizing the poeple who have been involved over the years. 

Dini Shahini gives some of the history of Albania Mennonite Mission

Dini Shows AMM History with Help from His Wife, Klementina, When the Electricity Went Off (25-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

At lunch time many spouses joined us at Kristi's.

Klementina, Stacy and Elsie eating lunch with AMMF

Klementina, Stacey, and Elsie Sample Their Lunches (25-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Kosti, Andon, and Allen also conversing at the AMMF lunch

Kosti, Andon, and Allen Sample the Lunchtime Conversation (25-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

After the meal, Rafael's and Solenge's Sophia again stole the show. This time she was in the arms of Norma Telos.

Sophia and Norma share a happy moment

Sophia Checks Me Out from Norma's Arms (25-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

After the afternoon executive session of AMMF, there were two new members voted in, one of whom was me. So it will be challenging to continue to learn about the mission of AMMF and how it can be used to further God's kingdom here in Albania.

In a more mundane matter (for many but an engrossing one for me), I continue to watch and photograph and even try to talk with the workers who are redoing the water lines in the city and refurbishing the streets. I have tried to explain to the workers that I liike to watch because my dad used to work on such machinery. But I have not found the right Albanian words to say that.

the street under construction has a concrete base

A New Street in the Commercial District Will be Concrete (19-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Te first time I saw these polypropylene mesh bags for handling heavy construction wastes was while we were in Barcelona, Spain, of spring break. Now I saw them here in Lezhë. In case you want one of your own, you can buy a three-foot on a side cube that will hold up to a ton and a half from Amazon for $26 US. That is, if your waste management company can handle the bags.

the reoved debris is put into strong nylon bags

Heavy Construction Debris in a Bag (19-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

By the end of the week, some of the sidewalk tiles had been already laid on the wide sidewalk.

the replaced sidewalk has a very interesting arc design

Sidewalk Tiles in an Arc Pattern (24-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

The water main project began on the street running past the market. So as I walked very slowly to and from school a few times this week, I got to watch the construction up close. One time I captured a horse-drawn wagon with a closed cab pass by the construction fences.

a road worker in safety colored vest is passed by a horse drawn wagon

Old and New: Construction Worker in Safety Vest and a Hose Cart (21-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

And here is another juxtaposition of old and new ways of dong work--a modern excavator at work and manual dirt tampers.

an excavator is breaking up the road above the water pipes

Jackhammer on an Excavator (21-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

manual dirt tampers along with modern excavators

Manual Tampers for Dirt and Gravel (21-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Also, by late in the week they had begun to work on the water lines out on the main street not far from our apartment building.

construcxtion has started along the main road near our apartment

Man Working on His Excavator (24-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

And I'll conclude this post with a few photos of people and nature.

the qofta man packages up my sandwiches 

The Qoft Man Puts My Sandwiches in a Plastic Bag for Me (124-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Fabi wanted a picture taken at church with me 

Youth and Age: Fabi, a Senior at LAC, Wanted a Picture with Me at Church (19-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Earth Day was a dress down day at LAC 

Earth Day Was Dress-down Day for LAC (22-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

must be mating time for this pigeon 

A Pigeon in His Mating Routine? (22-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

looking down our street from our apartment 

Up the Street from Our Apartment Shows the Flowering Trees (24-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

close up of the flowers n the trees along the street

New Each Springtime: Close-up of Flowers on the Trees along the Street (24-Apr-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Again, I have found our current home city, Lezhë, Albania, to be a very interesting place to live and work. So thank we God! 

--©2014-15, Richard L. Bowman

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